The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-10-26
AN OLD CRIME RECALLED.
How the Augusta Bank was Robbed
In lS49.
The False Key Made by the WIngate
Brothers.
Recovery of the Treasure In the Leg
isIative Halls.

AUGUSTA, Oct 52.-The remarkable con-
fessions of young Stain have recalled
the robbery of the Augusta bank in
1S49. The bank had just moved into new
quarters and had placed its funds in the
vault ON the 3Oth of December. The follow
ing morning, the cashier found a big hole in
the brickwork of the vault and the safe
locked. but empty. Suspicion fastened on a
Young man who had been staying in the city,
and Col. George w. Stanley, one of the di-
rectors of the bank, finally secured a con-
fession from the culprit, who maintained ST.
lence until shown some of his garments
which had been found buried in the snow
and bore the marks Of brick dust. The Young
man had previously been recognized by a
detective as Edward Wingate of Charles
town, Mass His older brother was with
him when the bank was robbed.
The Wingate brothers were very skillful
machinists and worked where the new safe
for the Augusta Bank was made. One day
as the safe sat on the Sidewalk in front Of
the mandatory waiting to be be vanished
the scheme of robbing the bank came to their
minds. The key was in the lock and it was
an easy matter to slip the key out and take
an impression in wax. The key was then
put back so as not to awaken any suspicion,
and the safe was in due time shipped to this
city, one of the brothers following soon af-
ter. The safe arrived here before the vault
was ready to receive it. and all Of these
weeks the construction of the vault was
watched by the robbers, who visited the
bank building every day. During this time
the pair were making their plans and taking
measurements of the vaults walls, so as to
attack it where it was weakest.
After the safe had been put in the vault,
and before the front had been bricked in,
one OF the robbers visited the bank in the
night to try the key they had made before
they left Boston. They key was found to be
perfect fit, which was a good test of their
skill and ingenuity. All their arrangements
were now complete, so they patiently waited
until the treasure had beed transferred.
Then In the night they effected an entrance
to the building, worked their way into the
bank, and opening the safe with their KEY.
secured its contents. lFrom the bank,
they drove to the State House. At that time
only one watehman was employed there
who was evidently sleeping at his post, for
the burglars forced an entrance in the base
ment window, and from there went up into
the hall of the House of Representatives.
In front of the speakers desk was a large
drawer, even with the floor, used to keep
legislative documents in. Taking this drawer
out and tearing up some loose boards, young
Wlngate crawled into this small hole down
between the floor of the hall and the ceiling
OF the rotunda directly underneath, Here
the gold and silver. weighing some 600 or
200 pounds, was secreted. Putting every
thing back in apple-pie-order and clearing
up all dirt they had made, the robbers closed
the basement window from the outside, driv-
ing at once to Gardiner, the watch
ful watchman being none the wiser,
All this young Wingate told Colonel Stan
ley before he left the cell at the jail. Hastily
summoning his son, George D.. Stanley, and
the Jallor, Lewis ID. Moore, Colonel Stanley
took the prisoner, and the whole four started
for the State House nearly a mile away.
This was about u o'clock at night. They
entered the building in the same manner as
the bank robbers did. To get into the hole
Wingate was obliged to take off his clothes
to his shirt and stockings. Crawling into
the hole feet first, the bags and boxes Of
money were passed out one by one to the
now more than astonished bank officers.
While Colonel Stanley stayed to watch the
funds Wingate was taken back to Jail, after
which the money was taken 10 the bank,
but little part of it being lost. This was
accomplished at about o'clock in the NOM
ing, to the great relief of the citizens Of Au-
gusta and the officers of the bank.
This was one of the best planned and most
adroitly managed robberies which the histo-
ry OF crime records, not only for It's success
full execution, but for the manner in which
Jne treasure was secured Young WIngaJe
was let out on bail and skipped the country
Frederic, the eldest. was captured in Quincy,
Mass, brought to Augusta, tried and con-
vlcted, and sentenced to State prison. After
serving number of years he made kew to
the prison door, and one day while he was
alone with the guard he seized a stick of
wood, knocked him down and walked from
the state prison free man.